Record-Breaking November Arctic Cold

A third surge of cold air pushed into the Northern Plains, Upper Midwest and East Coast. This third surge reinforced the cold temperatures for millions of Americans who have already endured at least a week of January-like chill.
There have been more than 400 record lows and record cool highs set, covering 43 states, since Sunday. That leaves only five states in the contiguous U.S., all in New England, that have not experienced record cold temperatures this week.
On Wednesday morning record lows were broken or tied from New York to Houston. Thursday morning brought more record cold to parts of the Southeast.

Long Lasting Cold

European (ECMWF) model forecasted coldest air a few thousand feet above the surface (850 millibars) from Nov. 14-21, 2014.  

At right is a European model forecast loop from last week depicting where the coldest air was expected to be this week.
With blocking high pressure aloft over eastern Alaska and northwest Canada, a direct pipeline of cold air came from Siberia to near the North Pole, then southward into Canada and the U.S., particularly the Plains and Midwest. While not as cold in magnitude, the arctic surges have also swept into parts of the East, though there was a brief mild spell in between the first two cold snaps along the East Coast.
Here is the general timing of each arctic cold surge, and when the coldest air may ease:
- First arctic surge: Spread into the East last week (November 11-15).
- Second arctic surge: Blasted through the East, Midwest, and South through early Thursday (November 16-20). For parts of the mid-Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley, Tennessee Valley and the Middle Atlantic States, this was the coldest of the surges, with numerous daily record lows broken.
- Third arctic surge: Reached the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest Thursday, then slid east across the Great Lakes and parts of the Northeast on Friday. It did not press nearly as far south as the first and second surges did.
- Cold relief: Relief began in the Rockies, then expanded into the southern Plains and Southeast Wednesday and Thursday. Midwest and Northeast relief arrives this weekend.